Chicago, swoop in for a chance to see Lady Bird early and for free

By Danette Chavez | November 2, 2017 | 5:00pm

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Chicago, swoop in for a chance to see Lady Bird early and for free

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In her solo directorial debut Lady Bird, mumblecore pioneer Greta Gerwig delivers a coming-of-age story that soars above its peers. Brooklyn’s Saoirse Ronan stars as the eponymous Lady Bird, a rebellious teen who’s itching to get out of Sacramento, a city she mocks as the “Midwest of California” (ouch, we say from our Chicago-based offices). There are just a couple of things stopping her, including her age, lack of money, and nonexistent work ethic. Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Timothée Chalamet, and Lucas Hedges make up the rest of this endearing and bitingly funny cast.

Gerwig, who also tackled the script, gives us more than just a series of growing pains-inspired vignettes. She’s crafted what film editor A.A. Dowd calls “a poignant tribute to how the beauty of a place, a time, and even a family member sometimes only reveals itself in hindsight, burning brightly in the rearview mirror.”